Car-coupling.



y No. 780,459. PATENTBD JAN. 17, 1905.

E. R. TRAMMBLL.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2B, 1904.

UNITED f STATES Patented January" 1.7, 1905.

PATENTY OEEICE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,459, dated January 1'7, 1905. Application filed May 28, 1904. vSerial No. 210,230.

To all whom t may ,oon/cern.-

Be it known that I, ERASMUS R. TEAMMELL, a citizen of the Uni ted States, residing at Lakeland, in the county of Polk and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- aet description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

M v invention relates to certain details of combination and construction of parts involved in'the production yof a car-coupler attachment, which will be hereinafter clearly set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

The object of 'my present invention is designed, primarily, as an improvement upon the construction shown in my Letters Patent No. 755,816, and the essential feature of the invention is to so construct the brackets adapted to engage the disconnected draw-head and prevent it from dropping to the ground that said bracket will be better adapted for the performance of its oiice and maybe more cheaply manufactured and at the same time possess greater strength and wear-resisting capacity.

Other objects will be'hereinafter clearly set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, and in which- Figure l shows a perspective View of my invention applied to use upon a car-coupler of v the interlocking' variety. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of my preferred form of disk-like' bracket. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of my disk-like bracket. Fig. 5 is a perspective View showing the top side of another form of bracket which vmay be adopted. Fig. 6 is a centra-l sectional view thereof. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a'pair of draw-heads in coupled relationship, while Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the knucklepin employed lto carry my disk-like bracket.

It is my purpose to provide a simple form of attachment for each draw-head, which will insure that the other draw-head, if it should become disconnected from its car, as by being pulled out of its side, will be engaged by the bracket and prevented from falling to the ground, and thereby obviate disastrous accidents, as the derailment of a train of cars following after.

It will be seen from the following specification that my invention may be readily applied to use upon draw-heads as now constructed without in any wise changing or modifying the construction thereof, it only being ,necessary to slightly lengthen the knucklepm as now employed, whereby my safetybracket may be easily attached to the lower end thereof. I

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates a draw-head of the usual or-any desired construction, preferably having the form of a movable knuckle, (indicated by the numeral 2,) and when each draw-head is thus formed the said knuckles will engage or interlock with leach-other inthe usual manner and may be readily disengaged by withdrawing the locking or releasing pin 3, as, will be obvious, a supporting-bar 4 being provided to give reliable support to the draw-head. -If desired, each-draw-head may have the usual link opening or recess, whereby an ordinary link may be employed should it be desirable to connect the knuckle draw-head to an ordinary draw-head, as by entering a pin through an aperture 5, which intersects a recess holding the end of the link and secures the latter, as is common. Each of the knuckles proper, 2, is provided with a lateral extension or swell, which has a vertically-disposed aperture of proper size to receive the knuckle-pin 6, said knuckle-pin being of sufficient length to eX- tend a proper distance below the draw-head, and to the lower end of said pin I rotatably mount my supporting-bracket 7, which is held in position in any preferred way, asby a split vkey or Cotter-pin 8 of suitable size and character.

It will be understood that the position of the bracket 7 is such that one edge thereof will be disposed immediately beneath the side of the draw-head which itis designed to catch and prevent it from falling to the' ground if drawn out of its car. My improved safetybracket will therefore arrest the downward movement of a disengaged or broken drawvhead, and since the knuckles 2 will still bein IOO engagement with each other the withdrawn or broken draw-head will be reliably held by the bracket and prevented from dropping to the trackway, and consequently prove a dangerous obstruction. It will be understood that the bracket may be variously constructed; but the preferred form of construction is'illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, wherein it will be observed that the body portion 7 of the bracket is slightly bell-shaped in form and is provided with the integral tubular hub-like member 9, which is designed to receive the lower end of the knuckle-pin 6, as will be clearly obvious, it being understood that the bracket when located upon said pin will rotate thereon. The tubular headlike member 9 extends through the bell-shaped member 7 and slightly below the plane occupied by the extremev outer edge of said member, said lower extension being' designated by the numeral 10, and the object of this extension is to hold the Cotter-pin 8 from coming in contact with the body portion 7, and thereby render the Cotter-pin more readily accessible when it is desired to remove or renew the same. Furthermore, the weight of the entire bracket is thus disposed upon that part of the Cotter-pin or split key immediately adjacent to the knuckle-pin, necessitating a shearing cut of the Cotter-pin before the disk could casually drop ofi1 of its adjusted position.

The under side of the body portion lis provided with a plurality of strengthening-ribs 11, extending from the periphery of the disklike member 7 to and in union with the tubular hub 9, all of the parts being preferably integrally formed excepting where it is desired to swedge the same from suitable metal, as shown in Fig. 5, when I prefer to place the rib members l1 upon the upper side of the body portion '7, said ribs being formed by shaping or bending a portion of the metal forming the body portion 7, as will be clearly obvious. In the construction shown in Figs.

5 and 6 the collar or hub-like member 9 is also struck up from the metal forming the body portion, all of the parts being fashioned at one operation, thereby insuring cheapness and great strength.

The form of bracket illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. may be fashioned by casting or molding the same, as will be readily apparent, thereby enabling the disk-like member 7 to be made very thin, the reinforcing-lips 11. being located at any desired point and of any preferred number, whereby the body portion 7 will be reliably strengthened and reinforced.

The disk-like bracket is of such size or diameter that the bracket carried by one drawhead will lie adjacent to the bracket carried by the other draw-head, and as the edges of said brackets are very thin one of the brackets may readily ride upon the other incident to the swaying movement of the car and to the act of coupling or bringing the drawheads together, thus preventing the edge of one disk from striking the other and causing breakage thereof.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a reliably efficient form of safety-bracket or supporting appliance for each draw-head, whereby should one draw-head become broken it will be arrested in its downward course by the bracket of the unbroken draw-head, insuring that the unbroken draw -head will carry the withdrawn or broken draw-head and not allow it to drop to the track-rail as before explained.

Believing that the advantages, construction, and manner of using my invention have thus been made clearly apparent, further description is dispensed with.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Iu a safety attachment for car-couplers, a disk-like member 7 having a tubular member 9 centrally located therein and comprising an integral part thereof, the said body portion and tubular member being reinforced or strengthened in united relationship by a plurality of radiating ribs 11 integrally formed with the body portion and tubular extension, all combined substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERASMUS R. TRAMNIELL.

l/Vitnesses: 

